This study was designed to improve the sensory characteristics and mitigate the bitter taste of Platycodon gradiflorum. It was aimed at investigating the qualitative properties of fermented P. gradiflorum after repeated steaming and drying treatments. P. gradiflorum was heated for 2 hr at 95℃, being the first and third treatments compared afterwards. Lactobacillus plantarum, at a concentration of 10%, was used as starter culture. As a result, the third steaming process and the addition of starter improved the physical and chemical properties of P. gradiflorum i.e., crude saponin and total polyphenol contents increased significantly. Moreover, P. gradiflorum steamed three times and fermented by L. plantarum showed the higher overall preference score. Our results indicated that the three-time steaming and drying was an effective manufacturing process for the production of high-quality fermented P. gradiflorum. Lactic acid-fermented P. gradiflorum also could have a potential use as a valuable resource for the development of functional products.

• So-Young Kim(Fermented Food Science Division, National Institute of Agricultural Science) | 김소영 Corresponding author
• Ye-Jin Lee(NUMED Company) | 이예진
• Dong-Sik Park(Functional Food Division, National Institute of Agricultural Science) | 박동식
• Haeng-Ran Kim(Functional Food Division, National Institute of Agricultural Science) | 김행란
• Yong Sik Cho(Functional Food Division, National Institute of Agricultural Science) | 조용식